The instant invention relates to the sport of baseball and more particularly to a ball tossing device for aiding young children in the development of batting skills.
A variety of different types of devices have been heretofore available for aiding persons of various ages in the development of baseball batting skills. For example, a variety of different types of batting tees have been heretofore available for positioning balls in upwardly spaced relation to supporting surfaces during batting exercises. Devices of this type have generally been found to be effective for assisting young children in the development of the earliest stages of batting skills, and they have also been found to be effective for use in a baseball-related game called "Tee-Ball". Ball tossing devices which toss balls upwardly into the air have generally been found to be effective for aiding children in the development of slightly more advanced batting skills, and various types of apparatus which are capable of tossing or pitching balls have been found to be effective for aiding both children and adults in the development of advanced batting skills. However, the heretofore available devices of these types have generally not been adapted for use by children having different levels of skill, and hence they have not been effectively adapted for use by children of different ages.
Ball tossing devices which are exemplary of some of the abovereferenced prior art devices are disclosed in the Benkoe U.S. Pat. No. 3,080,859; Brink U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,691; Saveca U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,199; Hill U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,752; Makino U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,027; McGill U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,294; Chorey U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,138; Hudson U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,507; Wilson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,924; Taksony U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,177; Lehmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,318; and Gatin U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,802. However, these devices have generally not been adapted to accommodate users having various different levels of skill, and, hence, they are believed to be of only general interest with respect to the ball tossing device of the subject invention.
The instant invention provides a ball tossing device which is adaptable for various different modes of operation and which therefore represents a significant improvement over the heretofore available ball tossing devices. Specifically, the instant invention provides a ball tossing device which is alternatively operative in a first mode of operation in which a ball is held in a substantially stationary disposition in upwardly spaced relation to a supporting surface, in a second mode of operation in which a ball is tossed substantially vertically upwardly from the device, or a third mode of operation in which a ball is tossed upwardly and outwardly from the device. Accordingly, the device of the instant invention can be utilized for positioning a ball in a stationary position for aiding a young child in the development of the initial stages of his or her ball hitting skills. The device is alternatively operative for tossing a ball substantially vertically upwardly for aiding a child in the development of a slightly more advanced level of batting skills, and the device is operative in a third mode of operation for tossing a ball to a child for aiding in the development of a still more advanced level of batting skills.
Still more specifically, the ball tossing device of the instant invention comprises a base which is receivable on a supporting surface and a ball tossing mechanism which is remotely actuatable for tossing a ball into the air. The tossing mechanism is adapted so that it is alternatively operative for tossing a ball into the air in a first direction which extends substantially vertically upwardly from the base, or a different second direction which extends upwardly and outwardly therefrom. The ball tossing mechanism preferably includes a foot pedal which is manually operative for moving the tossing mechanism to a cocked position and a remote release pedal which is operative for remotely actuating the tossing mechanism to toss a ball. The tossing mechanism preferably includes a launching tube which is operative for controlling the direction in which the ball is tossed, and the launching tube is preferably alternatively positionable in a first substantially vertical position for launching a ball in the first or vertical direction or a second non-vertical position for launching the ball in the second or upwardly and outwardly extending direction. The release pedal is preferably pneumatically operative for remotely actuating the tossing mechanism, and the tossing mechanism preferably includes a mechanical timer for providing a predetermined delay interval between the time when the release pedal is operated and the time when a ball is tossed into the air by the tossing mechanism. The ball tossing device preferably further includes a batting tee element which is receivable in the launching tube when the launching tube is in the first substantially vertical position thereof for supporting a ball in upwardly spaced relation to the base.
Accordingly, the ball tossing device of the instant invention provides a significant advancement over the heretofore available ball tossing devices. In this regard, the ball tossing device of the instant invention is adapted so that it is adjustable for use by children having different levels of skill to substantially increase the versatility of the device, and it is remotely actuatable for enabling a batter to more effectively assume a batting position before a ball is tossed into the air.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a ball tossing device which is adjustable to compensate for different levels of skill of various users.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a ball tossing device which is alternatively operative for tossing a ball in a first vertically upwardly extending direction or a second upwardly and outwardly extending direction.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a ball tossing device which is alternatively operative for tossing a ball to a user or for receiving a batting tee for supporting the ball in a stationary position.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.